Caprine (goat) Herd Shares and Cow Shares FOR SALE:

In Oregon, one of the only legal ways to obtain fresh, raw goat or cow milk for your family is to own the dairy animal! That’s a lot of money and work! However, a herdshare or cowshare is the perfect way to share the expense and management of owning a dairy animal and we’ve got both at Sunna Ra Acres in Shady Cove, Oregon. The Sunna Ra Acres herd of Nubian dairy goats will be jointly owned by over 40 families and “Cacao” the Holstein/Jersey cow will be owned by over 28 families, but Sunna Ra Acres takes care of the dairy animals. Herd and cow share owners pay a monthly boarding/maintenance fee for the milking and other care of their dairy animal, and receive their milk conveniently cooled and bottled. Some families come to the farm in Shady Cove for their milk and to visit each Monday (farm open house day); some pick it up at our current drop location off Hanley Road in Medford on Wednesdays and starting in May we’ll be at the Growers Market at The Commons in Medford on Saturdays. How to join… You can become an owner of the Sunna Ra Acres dairy herd by purchasing one or more herd or cow shares and signing our Agistment or Boarding Agreement. To join contact us directly and we will email you the purchase and boarding agreements.

Caprine (goat) Herd ShareEach goat herd share can usually be expected to yield a half-gallon per week of goat milk (but occasionally more or less depending on the goats lactation cycle). So if you want one gallon per week, buy two shares, two gallons, four shares, and so forth. The purchase price of each herd share is $25, a one-time cost. Every month, including the first, shareholders pay a herd boarding fee, due the 1st of the month. This pays for feeding, milking, and other care of your herd. $25/share/month. Our herd Boarding Agreement is a three-page contract that lists the rights and responsibilities of share owners and our herd boarding service. Cow Share - Currently Sold Out for 2014 Each cow share can usually be expected to yield a gallon per week of cow milk (but occasionally more or less depending on the cow)! So if you want two gallons per week buy two shares. The purchase price of each cow share is $40, a one-time cost. Every month, including the first, shareholders pay a cow boarding fee, due the 1st of the month. This pays for feeding, milking, and other care of your cow. $40/share/month. Our cow Boarding Agreement is a five-page contract that lists the rights and responsibilities of share owners and our cow boarding service. The Boarding Agreements mostly serves as proof that shareholders are legitimate owners of the herd and cow and that we are not selling milk. Feel free to request a copy of the Agreement by email. Prospective herd or cow share buyers are encouraged to visit the farm and meet the goats and cow, tour the milking area and taste some milk before joining. Your calls and emails are welcome! We are proud members of the American Dairy Goat Association and the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund. We are raising healthy dairy animals and providing our herd and cow share owners with good, wholesome milk.

To buy a share or be put on the herd share interest list contact us directly.

"I'm one of four Sunna Ra dairy goats and I'm producing a gallon a day right now!" Sunna Ra Isis

"I have milk and lots of love," Little Brown Cow (LBC)

Still Considering Ownership? Here are some bullet points:

Sunna Ra Acres is selling ownership in our goat herd and our one dairy cow. We are not selling raw milk, rather our fellow herd owners receive milk as a result of their ownership.

Amounts of milk an owner receives will very depending on the animals lactation cycle and milk production. However, the goat shares average ½ gallon per week and the cowshare averages one gallon per week over the course of a year.

Owners will receive whole milk straight from the dairy animal. Goats milk is naturally homogenized, but the cow milk will have cream separated on top in the jars.

Boarding/Maintenance (agistment) monthly fees must be paid at the first of the month or by prior arrangement.

Owners must choose an available weekly pick up date and time in advance for retrieving milk. However if an owner is making cheese and would like milk all at once we can arrange with other owners for once a month pick up.

Owners supply two to four of their own clean containers at time of share purchase. Owners can buy new ½ gallon jars from Sunna Ra Acres at $5.00 per jar, includes white screw cap lid.

Distribute- Sunna Ra Acres will bottle your milk into clean dry jars, and store them in our cooler until scheduled pickup day. Owner will return their jars weekly clean, dry, and with the owners name clearly marked on the jar. If milk is not picked up by the next scheduled pickup, Sunna Ra is not responsible.

Farms current breeding and milking practices to manage lactation are as follows:

Goats: Our dairy goats are bred in September of each year. A goats gestation is approximately 150 days. Estimated kidding is in February of the next year. Dairy goats are dried up (no milking) last 60 days of gestation so their bodies can focus on developing strong, healthy goat kids. In addition all milk is given to goat kids the first 60 days after freshening (birthing). Therefore the goats will not be producing milk for human consumption four months per year, estimated December 15th- April 15th.

Cow: Our dairy cow is bred in July-August of each year. A cows gestation is 9 months. Estimated freshening (birthing) is April-May of the next year. The cow is dried up (no milking) last 60 days of gestation so her body can focus on developing a strong, healthy calf. In addition all milk is given to the calf the first 30 days after freshening (birthing). Therefore the cow will not be producing milk for human consumption three months per year, estimated March-May.

Owners can sell ownership back to Sunna Ra Acres with 60 days notice. Buyback rates are $30 per cowshare and $20 per caprine herdshare.

Here are some frequently asked questions about herdshares:

1. How should I handle the milk that is supplied to me? The milk supplied will be raw--that is, it is not heat-treated or pasteurized. It will be chilled; and you should take care that it remains so until you can get it home and into your refrigerator. If you have some distance to drive or stops to make before you arrive home, it is imperative that you make provision with insulated containers and ice or chillers to keep the milk at refrigerator temperature until you return home. Milk should be kept in a refrigerator set at 35 degrees. It should not be left out for long periods at meal times.2. How long does raw milk last? If milk is kept in a fridge set at 35 degrees, it should last for at least 7 - 10 days. If milk is not maintaining its freshness, here are a couple of things to consider: ~Be sure to monitor your fridge temp to ensure milk is being kept at 35 degrees (and don't keep milk in the door). ~Be sure to transport milk in a cooler with ice after picking up from the drop site. ~Be sure to not leave milk out at mealtime for long periods.3. What happens to my milk when I'm on vacation? We encourage you to let a friend or family member either enjoy your milk while you're away or freeze it for you so you can drink it when you return. If you'd rather we donate your milk to a family in need, just let us know. Refunds are not given since the shareholder's cow still needs to be boarded, milked, and cared for even when the owner is on vacation and not receiving milk.4. Will the milk always taste the same each week? A factor in the taste of the milk is the type of grass or hay (in winter) that the dairy animals are eating. Various types of forage affect the taste of the milk - sometimes making it sweeter, sometimes creamier, sometimes off-tasting. Off tasting milk is not yummy to drink but still good for you and can be incorporated into recipes.5. Do you have a website you recommend for further research about the benefits of raw milk?www.raw-milk-facts.com6. Do you offer skim or fat free milk? No, we don't. The cream is an important fat for your body. It's fine to skim the cream off the top of the milk and use it for other recipes, but be sure the cream finds its way into your diet. We never recommend skimming the cream and throwing it out.7. Do you have any suggestions for milk that is a couple of weeks old and has gone sour? It's always good to remember that unlike pasteurized milk, raw milk gets better for you the older it gets. The probiotic properties in raw milk continue to multiply as the milk ages. (i.e.: the increased health benefits of yogurt) A wonderful educational cookbook for learning how to use raw milk is Sally Fallon's "Nourishing Traditions."